Genealogy is the study of family ancestries and histories, and a great way to learn women's history. In this activity, students will learn about the methods and tools needed to conduct a genealogical interview. It is included in an OurStory module entitled Great Women of Our Pasts. OurSt

This lesson plan outlines topics for short research projects and classroom performances related to the Mexican War. Have students select individuals connected to the Mexican War, perform research, and then interview each other to showcase the disparate views on the motivations behind the War and

Read or listen to a short news story about the food in a Japanese American internment camp, then create a meal using some of the same ingredients. Part of an OurStory module entitled Life in a WWII Japanese American Internment Camp, this activity includes links to instructions to make "W

Make your own constellation commemorating an American woman, like Maria Mitchell. Many cultures have used constellations to remember the stories of heroes, like the Greeks and some American Indians. Included in an OurStory module from Smithsonian's National Museum of American History entitled

Examine examples of persuasive writing from Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, then composepersuasive statements about an environmental cause. Part of an OurStory module entitled Discover and Protect Nature, this activity includes student handouts and background information. OurStory is de

People have been turning kitchens into bubble labs for hundreds of years. Benjamin Franklin and his mentor James Logan studied the optical properties of bubbles. These experiments later contributed to Franklin’s invention of bifocal glasses in 1784.
Discover your inner bubble inventor

The kite has played a role in many famous inventions...build your own! This activity from Spark!Lab includes step-by-step directions, discussion questions, and ideas for extending your learning. Spark!Lab activities encourage young learners to explore the invention process, from creative ideas al

In this activity kit, students will use primary and secondary sources, and conduct oral history interviews to construct a family immigration or migration story. The kit contains step-by-step instructions, sample interview questions, and research guidance. The kit can be used in conjunction with a

In this lesson plan students will examine primary sources to determine the level of threat caused by the buildup of Soviet nuclear missiles and weapons sites in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis and will analyze President Kennedy’s response. This resource was produced to accompany the

Japanese Americans reflect on their years spent in internment camps as children or young adults. They discuss the process of being forced from their homes, and their ability to make the prisons more livable despite oppressive conditions.